Brussels - A statement demanding for restrictions on all brominated substances as well as PVC in electric and electronic equipment in the EU has been released today by an alliance of global companies, including Acer, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Sony Ericsson, and environmental organisations, including The European Environmental Bureau (EEB).

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) can currently be found in large amounts of electronic equipment and other products, creating high risks for environment and public health if these products are not properly disposed of.

The organisations call on EU legislators to ban the use of all BFR and PVC in electronics put on the market from end of 2015. EU legislators are now in the process of deciding future restrictions on hazardous substances in electronics through the revision of the EU Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive.

Christian Schaible, Chemicals Policy Officer at the EEB, said: “The objective of the RoHS directive is to protect human health and the environment and to contribute to environmentally sound recovery and disposal of electrical and electronic equipment. EU lawmakers should accordingly take this opportunity to eliminate these hazardous substances that are having a negative impact on recycling and the conservation of resources.”

The European Parliament Environment Committee will vote on the RoHS proposal on 3 June. The European Parliament will consider the directive in plenary in July 2010. The Council of Environmental Ministers will have its own debate on this subject on the 11th of June.

The joint statement can be downloaded under eeb.org.

Quelle: European Environmental Bureau (EEB)

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